


Sliding Doors

by Irma66



Category: Veronica Mars (TV), Veronica Mars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Lilly Lives
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2020-09-06 23:29:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20299711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Irma66/pseuds/Irma66
Summary: Lilly's a little more careful when she finds the camera in the pool house and things don't go as we might expect them too. But what else does that change?





	Sliding Doors

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MrsKissyT](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsKissyT/gifts), [Bondopoulos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bondopoulos/gifts).

> One more birthday bit for MKT and Bondo. Wishing you both the best, in life and in fic, for the upcoming year!

Lilly pulls the shelves back together carefully, trying to make sure there was no sign she’d found Aaron’s secret movie studio. She takes a step back and considers her work. _Looks fine. Now get the hell out, girl, before he gets here._

She shoves five tapes into her tote. The one from today, that showed her finding the cameras, and the one from two days ago, when she made what was turning out to be her biggest mistake ever. Then, the three tapes closest to hers, hoping that would suggest that this was a random theft, and not one that would immediately point to her. She needs a little time to figure out what she's going to do next.

Lilly slings her bag over her shoulder and makes her way out of the pool house. Lucky for her, Aaron is chronically late, so she has time to get away. If he shows up, she'll probably have to have sex with him again, just to keep him off her trail. Funny thing, she’d come here excited to go another round with an A-list action star, but now the idea nauseates her. Suddenly all the things that the Veronica Angel voice in her head has been telling her to make her stop flirting with her boyfriend’s, then ex-boyfriend's, dad had landed hard and she's wishing that she’d actually paid attention before it was too late. She's pretty sure real-life Veronica is going to have plenty to say if this gets out, and she dreads that thought.

“Lilly.”

The unexpected voice nearly makes her leap out of her skin.

“Mrs. Echolls. What are you doing here?” Aaron had said Lynn was at some charity thing and wouldn’t be at home. Obviously he’d been wrong. Or maybe she was suspicious and changed her plans. _Crap, crap, crap._

“I live here, dear. What are you doing here?”

“Oh, haha, that’s funny. Of course you live here. I’m...umm...I’m here to meet Logan. Have you seen him?”

Lynn's eyebrows rise sharply and Lilly cringes internally. _Oh shit, wrong answer._ "Logan's in Mexico with the Casablancas boys. But you knew that, didn't you, Lilly?"

Lilly lifts her hand, bonking herself on the temple as she makes a silly face. "Oh yeah, I just forgot." She grabs a lock of her hair and shakes it. "Blonde, you know."

"Uh huh." Lynn sounds very skeptical. 

"So, I guess I'll just get out of your way then. Sorry I bothered you." Lilly steps sideways, around Lynn, then walks backwards away from her, smiling like she's really super invested in whatever's going on with Logan right now. "When's he coming back again? Not til Sunday?"

"I believe so," Lynn says and Lilly nods, then gives a jaunty wave and spins forward again. _Almost clear._

"Lilly, if you don't mind, can you hang on a second?" 

_Goddammit._ "I just realized that I'm running late, Mrs. Echolls. Got my schedule for the day confused. Early dismissal days always screw me up."

"Lilly." Lynn's tone is low and flat, but somehow more commanding than Lilly has ever heard before from Logan's mother. "It'll just be a minute."

"Okay, fine." Lilly stops, turning back to Lynn. The older woman's face is serious, her collagen-filled lips pursed and her eyes hard.

"I think you remembered just fine that Logan wasn't here today, Lilly. And I think you were expecting to meet Aaron in the pool house. And I don't think it would have been the first time you've done that."

Lilly shakes her head rapidly, horrified at what she's hearing. "Mrs. Echolls, no, I would never. I love Logan."

Lynn frowns. "Maybe. But I think you love attention more." 

"I don't know how you could even think—"

"Lilly, just stop. If I'm wrong, I apologize. But I don't think I am." Lynn steps toward her and Lilly backs away reflexively. Lynn huffs out a laugh and rolls her eyes.

"You're worrying about the wrong person if you're actually afraid of violence, dear. Let's just say that I am well aware of my husband's proclivities, and I truly don't care anymore where he chooses to put his dick. I would have hoped, of course, that Logan's girlfriend might have had the decency to steer clear of his own father, but I can't say I'm surprised that you couldn't."

Lilly's mouth drops open in outrage, in spite of the fact that Lynn is completely correct. "How dare you say that to me?"

Lynn shrugs, and one side of her mouth smirks up, making her look disturbingly like her son. "I guess I just do." 

"I'm not going to stand here and list—"

"Here's what I would like to see happen here, Lilly. When Logan returns, you let him know it's over between you, and you make it stick this time. Do we understand each other? My son deserves someone who will be true to him, and I think it's pretty clear you aren't that someone."

Lilly sighs, suddenly feeling defeated. "I've been trying to tell him that. He won't listen. No matter what I do, he keeps coming back. And I do love him." She meets Lynn's eyes, hoping she might understand. "I really do. I'm just not cut out for something big and heavy. I'm seventeen years old, not thirty. I need to be sowing my wild oats."

"With other people's husbands?" Lynn asks pointedly and Lilly shakes her head.

"No, I'm sorry, it just happened. I didn't really plan it. I mean, it's not that it wasn't kinda cool. I mean, he's been the Sexiest Man Alive, and he wanted me." She stops short, realizing that she'd just confessed.

"I know, honey. I do. But that doesn't make it okay. And it would devastate Logan. So you need to stop."

"I already was, I mean, I saw the set-up with the camera, and I didn't want..."

"What set-up?" Lynn reaches forward and grabs Lilly's arm. "What camera?"

Lilly's mouth drops open and then she snaps it closed again, frantically tugging her arm away, shaking her head the whole time. "No no no...I—I didn't mean..."

"There's a camera set-up? In the pool house?" Lynn releases her and twists back toward the small out building, but Lilly runs after her, snatching at the billowing silk of her blouse.

"No, don't, if he realizes that I know—"

Lynn stops abruptly and Lilly barely manages to stop before crashing into her as she turns back, looking thoughtful. "You think he might try to keep you, or maybe even both of us, quiet? You might be right." She jerks her chin at Lilly's big over-the-shoulder tote bag. "Do you happen to have some evidence of your indiscretion there?"

Lilly looks away, biting her lip. _How did everything get so out-of-control?_ "I just didn't want anyone to see...what I did."

"Understandable," Lynn says as she presses her hands together, prayer-like, then taps her manicured fingertips against her lips, musing. "Okay, you run along then, and I'll try to figure out how I can use this. Maybe get Aaron out of our lives for good." She looks sharply at Lilly. "You make sure you break up with Logan, got it?"

"Yes, I will. Or more like I won't let him get us back together this time." She turns to head for her car, then spins to Lynn again. "You be careful, okay? Don't accuse him or anything when it's just you guys here. That doesn't seem safe."

"I agree. Maybe I'll see if Sheriff Mars thinks there's anything illegal about this."

"Oh, please, don't tell Sheriff Mars. He can't know about this. Veronica can't know what I did. She'll hate me."

Lynn gives Lilly a sad, sympathetic smile. “That may be the price you pay for this choice, Lilly. Be glad the cost isn’t greater.”

Lilly looks back at the woman she’d wronged with dismay. “Pretty sure losing Veronica is higher than any other cost.”

“Even if Aaron decides to shut us up?” Lynn asks and Lilly shudders. “I don’t know yet what I’m going to do, and if I do bring Keith into this, that doesn’t have to mean Veronica will find out. I’m sure he’d rather she not find out this whole unsavory story."

"Yeah," Lilly whispers, almost to herself. _Veronica doesn’t have to know. _In a louder voice, she says, "Okay, you win. Do whatever you need to do. I'll back you up if you need me to." Lynn opens her mouth, as if to speak, and Lilly holds up her hand. "And don't worry, I'll let Logan know that we are not getting back together. Never ever. Satisfied?"

Lynn nods and Lilly sighs in resignation. "Okay then, I'm getting out of here." She flashes a hard look at Lynn. "Don't forget, you need to be careful. Don't start anything with him and I won't either. If I see Aaron, I'm just going to tell him that I feel bad about what I'm doing to Logan and I can't see him again. Okay?"

Lynn's smile catches Lilly off-guard—devious, with the look of a co-conspirator. "Good plan. You know—" she glances away for a moment, considering, then back at Lilly "—what you did, it was a really bad idea—"

"I know," Lilly bites out.

"—and I don't want you thinking otherwise, but in the end, I think this might work out for everyone."

"How do you figure?"

Lynn shakes her head. "Don't worry about it. Just remember your promise. If I need you to talk about what you did, you better do it. I won't drag you into this if I don't have to, but you will back me up. Do we have an agreement?" She extends her hand and Lilly looks at it suspiciously, then huffs and grabs it, giving a quick single shake. 

"Yeah. We have an agreement." She tried to glare at the older woman, but realizes that she got herself into this, not Lynn. "Good luck. And be careful."

She pivots away again, wanting nothing more than to leave the Echolls' estate and never come anywhere near it again. That is obviously not going to work, but a girl can dream, right? She wonders what Lynn might be planning, but really, really hopes it won’t involve her. She goes straight to her car, flinging open the passenger door and hurling her bag into the seat. The momentum sends the bag over the side of the bucket seat, onto the center console.

"Goddammit." She huffs and leans into the car, pulling the bag and assorted other items back into the seat, then freezes when she feels a hand spread across her ass before stroking slowly down her leg. A hard body presses her from behind, grinding against her.

"I know I'm late, but you shouldn't go away mad," a low voice murmurs in her ear and she feels bile rise in her throat. 

"Lynn's here," she says in an urgent tone, jerking her shoulders to try to throw him off her. The hand rubbing down her leg had begun to shift inward, like he was reaching between her legs, but luckily for her, his wife's name still generates an appropriate response. 

"What? Why? Did she see you?" Aaron pulls away, although he continues to loom, his demeanor completely changed from sexy and teasing to angry. 

"Yes, but I covered. Told her I forgot Logan was out of town and came to see him."

"Why would you do that?" Aaron steps away from her, now looking offended. "You broke up with him, didn't you?"

"Of course I did," Lilly replies, forcing herself to not roll her eyes at the man. “No one would ever think you’d fuck your own son’s underage girlfriend.”

“I would never—“ he began, but Lilly cuts him off, before he realizes that she might sound a little scornful.

“I needed a reason to be here and that made the most sense."

"Yeah, yeah, of course," Aaron mutters, frowning. "That was a good cover," he offers after a moment. 

"Thanks," Lilly says, hoping her sudden disdain for this ridiculous man doesn't show through in her voice. "So, I'm gonna take off. Since Logan's not here," she adds meaningfully, when Aaron frowns at her.

"Ahh, yes." He takes a couple steps away from her and says loudly, "We'll see you next time, Lilly. I'll be sure to tell Logan you were here."

She steps clear of the car door and slams it shut. She'll have to deal with the mess all over the car later, when she’s away from _this_ mess. "Great, thanks." She walks around to the driver's side and climbs in, pressing the locks as soon as the door closes. The last thing she needs is Aaron in her car. She manages to raise her hand in response to his wave as she drives away, but once she’s off the grounds, she only makes it a few streets away before she has to pull over because she's shaking so hard she can't actually drive.

Lilly puts the car into park and covers her face with her hands, leaning into her steering wheel. She feels like she should be crying, but the tears won't come. She did this to herself, no one else. Okay, maybe Aaron, but if she'd just ignored his come-ons...

She flings herself back in her seat, pulling in deep, calming breaths. _It's gonna be fine._ Maybe Lynn would find a way to use the camera set-up against Aaron. She hadn't really thought about Lynn when she finally let Aaron touch her, and kiss her, and convince her to meet him in the pool house two days before. It was widely accepted by the Fab 4 that Aaron wasn't exactly the best husband and father in the world; Logan's venom when he spoke about his father made that pretty clear. She hadn't really been thinking about Logan or Lynn when she made her choice; she was thinking about a hot action movie star wanting her. 

_Maybe you need to think more._ She's not all that surprised that that thought comes through sounding like the Veronica Angel. 

She releases her breath in a shriek of agitation and throws her hands out and away from her face, banging her left hand into the window and striking the messy pile of stuff beside her with the right. She leans over to shove the loose items into her bag; she hadn't wanted to carry a U.S. History textbook and her binders into a tryst with a movie star. As she picks through the items, she notices a shot glass that she knows she hadn't been carrying.

I got baked in Ensenada.

_Where did this come from?_

She sets the glass on the dash and continued to shove books and papers into her bag. One loose sheet of paper catches her eye when she sees her name in Logan's loopy scrawl. Its ragged edge shows it had been ripped from a spiral notebook. It's clearly one of the lovey-dovey notes that Logan writes to her all the time, but she usually crumples them up and tosses them out so she's not sure where this one came from. As she begins to read the note, her eyes widen. _This is from today. Logan’s here?_

_Lilly,_

_Grabbed this for you down in Mexico. Sounds like you, don't ya think? Although I was the one getting baked in Ensenada while you were just in Neptune getting laid. _

_That's what you've been doing, right? Sleeping with whoever catches your eye? But it's not like you haven't been honest about it. And let's be real, I can't really be mad about it, when you break up with me, I do the same thing. _

_I never used to understand why you didn't seem to want what I wanted, but I finally get that you've been telling me every chance you got for the last two years. You can't be tied down, you need room to try everything, with anyone you want. Sometimes it seemed like you wanted to screw the whole world, but I just always thought that was you trying to make me jealous and keep me close because I was jealous. I see now that you haven't been trying to pull me in by saying that, you've been warning me all along. I was just too stupid in love to understand. _

_Well, I am still stupid and I am still in love, but I saw you today with Veronica, and you looked happy in a way that you never seem to look when you're with me. And I think I finally realized, if I can't make you happy, then trying to hold onto you makes you unhappy, and I don't want that. _

_So I'm not going to try anymore. I set you free, Lilly Kane, to go out and find whoever or whatever it is you think your fabulous self needs. I'm not going to bother you about getting back together again, and I won't hit every guy I see you with. I'll even try not to stare at you like a love-starved sap when I see you out living your life without me. _

_I'll always be here though. If you need me, you just have to say the word._

_Logan_

Lilly blinks away the tears that have finally filled her eyes, then folds the page gently, once, twice, three times, before tucking the little rectangle into a side pocket of her bag. "I guess it won't be too hard to keep _that_ promise to Lynn," she says out loud, but she wonders where Logan is now and when he was in her car. _Please God, let him not have found me here._ She grabs her phone, to call and see where he is, but stops as she realizes that calling him first thing isn't the way to make his break-up promises stick. _Logan's gonna have to be on his own today._ Maybe she'd have Veronica call him later.

She shifts to face forward again, putting the car in drive, heading for her house. She needs to get these tapes locked down in her vent before anyone else sees them. She's locking Logan's letter away too. She wants to have it to show him the next time he tries to win her back and she has to remind him what he promised. It also might be nice to have this little remembrance from the first boy who ever loved her with his whole heart, even if she couldn't take what he offered. She'll put it with Eli's note. It's too big to hide in the spy pen, but the vent's her secret spot anyway. 

She smiles as she realizes that with Aaron's tapes in there too, the vent is becoming her Safe of Lovers Past. _Oh, that sounds hot._

As she opens the gate to their drive though, she shakes that thought off. What if Aaron had come in and seen that she was onto him? Would he have tried to keep her quiet? Would she have tried to see what she could get from him to keep his secret? What would that have made him do? Maybe nothing, there was no way to know for sure, but she does know that she's seventeen and her secret safe holds evidence of her affairs with both a father and son, as well as a motorcycle gang leader. Veronica would not be impressed. _Fabulous is one thing, but maybe it's time to ease up a little._

She glances around the floor and the seat, seeing nothing else to put into her bag, then swings out of the car and heads into the house, pulling her phone free, then pushing number one on her speed dial as she walks. 

"Veronica, hey, I got done with my plans early, what are you doing? I didn't get enough BFF time this afternoon at the car wash—can I come over?"

**Author's Note:**

> This could stand alone, and Lilly lives - Yay!, but I always want to know what happens next, so more is coming, and the plan is a little unusual. I hope you will enjoy.


End file.
